Fence



NIT-ED ST TES V PATENT Y OFFICE.

F. G. WIGKS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FENCE,

."JPECIPICA IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,351, dated August 12. 1884.

Application filed March 1, 1834. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK O. Wicks, of 1101 Chestnut street, in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fencesthat is to say, in the manner of binding or looking the corners of the ordinary rail or cuit of wire or of other sufficiently strong and flexible ligament, placing the lower end of the loop under the bottom rail at the corner, so that the two sides of the loop will extend vertically to the top of the panel over the apex or point of the panel, the two side wires being closely drawn into the acute angles formed by the rails at their intersection, so as to hold cachrail in place at the intersection. The loop is long enough to extend above and beyond the panel, so as to pass over a block or piece of rail resting onthe top. of the two panels at their intersection, which is to serve as a fulcrum. Into the upper end of theloop the end of a stake or lever is inserted. The loopshould be of such length that some force will be required to draw the free end of the lever or stake down to a vertical position toward the bottom of the panel, so as to exert a degree of binding strain or pressure upon the corner of the panel. The free end of the stake or lever so drawn down to the bottom of the corner of thepanels is to be fastened by a second loop or tie passing around the rails, or driven in the ground, or fastened in any other suitable manner. When a line of fence has been constructed in this manner, a barbed or other wire may be strung along the top of the fence and attached to the looped wire at the point where the stake is inserted by twisting around the barbed wire the projecting free ends of the looped wire.

In the accompanying drawings several panels of an ordinary worm-fence are shown, marked respectively A, B, G, and D. At the intersection of A and B, B and O, and O and D theloop E is drawn, embracing within its circuit the ends of the rails of the two adjacent panels, This loop E is an integral wire joined together at its ends to form aloop or band, and is placed with its dependent portion under the lowest rail, its vertical side wires or strands, 0, one on each side of the apex or point of the panel, in the acute angles formed by the crossed ends of the rail, and the slack e of the loop extending above the top rail, upon which is placed a fulcrun1- block, F. The loop extends above the fulcrum-block F. G is the stake or lever, the upper end of which is inserted in the upper end of the loop above the fulcrum F. The lower end of the stake G is drawn downward in the obtuse angleformed by the meeting panels, to take up the slack, thus placing the.

stake or lever in a vertical position, and securing the crossed ends of the rails between three triangularly placed bindersviz., the two vertical wire strands e in the two acute angles and the vertical stake G in the obtuse angle formed by the crossing rails. Its lower end is then fastened by driving its end into the ground, as before specified, or directly to the fence, by the independent tie or loop H, which may be passed around one or more of the rails and the lower end of the stake-G. The barbed wire WV may then be attached to the upper ends of the loops E, which loops af-.

ford a convenient means of securing the wire at the proper height above the top rail, and in such position that it will not interfere with the subsequent tightening of the lock, frequently necessitated by the drying or shrinking of the rails. At each corner the bind ing-loop will--be on the side of the fence on which the ends of the rails project, and the binding stake or lever will be on the opposite side.

The fulcrum F may be any block, bar, or piece of rail three or four inches in diameter and two or three feet long.

The barbed wire may be attached to the loop at. the point nearest the center line of the fence, so as to bring the barbed wire nearly in a straight line.

Though the loop marked H may be integral with the loop E, or be the lower portion thereof, it is not expedient so to construct the fence, as the advantages of the lever and fulcrum are lessened, so tight a lock will not be as easily end of the loop was twisted to take up theslack and press the rails firmly together, said locking-lever being finally secured in the corner formed by the intersecting rails, and I do not herein claim the same, as the advantages of the fulcrum are'not obtained. \Vhere the loop is of wire, the wire cannot be readily untwisted to open the loop to remove old or,

broken and insert new rails, and, finally, the twisted wire rusts and breaks more easily, thus destroying the lock or binder; but,

I claim as my invention as follows:

1. In a rail fence, the combination,with the crossing rails of two adjacent panels, of a loop having its vertical portions arranged in the acute angles formed: by the crossing rails, a fulcrum-block arranged upon the upper rail, and a stake or lever which engages in the loop and is arranged in the obtuse angles formed by the crossing rails, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a rail fence, the combination of two panels having their rails arranged to cross, a loop having its vertical portions arranged in the acute angles formed by the crossing rails, a fulcrum block arranged on the top rail, a stake or lever which engages in the slack of the loop over the fulcrum-block, and a barbed wire supported on and secured to the upper end of the lockingloop, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

FL 0. XVIGKS.

Attest:

\VILLM. R. WALKER, Gno. \VALKER. 

